Someone close to me said this recently. My response was immediate: “There’s no need to be insulting!”

However, the observation has proved to be accurate. I did not know then than I would run for, and win, an officer position in my labor union, nor did I expect to spend a day at my state capitol, lobbying against a bill in committee. I did not anticipate becoming a near-constant activist. However, all these things have happened.

I could say I’ll never run for a governmental office, but my record on pronouncements doesn’t seem to be good. I do know this much, though:  I didn’t go looking for this. Events simply happened to my co-workers and myself. We didn’t go looking for a fight.

Living through a protracted struggle isn’t easy in any line of work. Teaching is no exception. The simple fact is this, however:  we aren’t giving up.

No matter what.